Read Online Witch Risen: A Paranormal Adventure (Bad Tom Series Book 2) by Jill Nojack - Free Book Online
Book: Witch Risen: A Paranormal Adventure (Bad Tom Series Book 2) by Jill Nojack
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Authors: Jill Nojack
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chemicals running around in a young body anymore.
No one has their hood up yet. It's still meet and greet time. You'd think this was a gathering of the DAR complete with finger sandwiches.
Zelda and her daughter are either late or not coming. I spent a great deal of time grooming them over the years, pretending to take an interest in their lives. Perhaps they left the coven out of loyalty to me when I died? If they did, I can coax them back quickly. In fact, all of my devotees are missing tonight. But they'll return soon enough, when they see that I'm back in all my glory.
"Evening, Cassie," Natalie says as she saunters by. Wait a minute! Natalie's wearing my ring? Why would the coven put that buffoon in a position of power? It makes no sense. She's stolen something from everyone in the coven at some point. Kleptomania, my ass. The woman is just a thief. Although obviously, I'm not judging her. She's nowhere near the thief that I am: I've stolen an entire coven member, and no one has a clue.
I'd always thought Gillian would be everyone's choice for high priestess if Eunice stepped off before she did. It was her I was hoping to go up against to regain my power. Victory won't be anywhere near as sweet if I'm taking the power from Nat. There were times I even admired the old harpy.
Finally, Robert and Natalie draw their hoods up and others follow suit. Our priest and priestess walk among us, handing us each white candles, the color of cleansing and purification.
We form a ritual circle and Robert makes an inner circuit in the glow of his taper, lighting the candles we extend as he goes. I prefer a nice red candle myself. I have several waiting for Ba'al when he comes home.
The one who requested to be cleansed, Janice, walks to the center of the circle, seats herself cross-legged on the grass, and pulls her robe off her shoulders down to her waist, revealing sagging breasts and a stretch-marked belly. Her downward-facing nipples stiffen as the breeze blows across them.
I wish this was all over. Cleansings bore me. The chant begins, but I don't know the words to this one. Custom-made, probably, for Natalie to show off her bespoke casting skills.
Oh, let it be over. It's making me sleepy.
When Cassie—I still can't bring myself to think of her as Eunice—slumps to the ground, I creep cautiously out of the woods to join the circle. It will help to have as many people as possible who care about Cass lending their energies when Natalie attempts to cleanse her of Eunice's presence. Even someone with no magic. Love is a kind of magic in itself.
"Tom, get her and carry her to the center. Quickly. I don't know how long Eunice will sleep."
While I carry her to the middle of the ring as Natalie directed, Janice rejoins her peers, and the others start interspersing black candles with the white ones. Gillian told me earlier, when we were packing the items Natalie would need, that if what Eunice did to Cassie was a hex, the black candles would help. She just shrugged when I asked what affect it would have if it was something else.
Natalie claps her hands. "Everyone, join the circle now, very close. Take the hand of the person next to you and don't let go."
She begins the spell then, speaking quietly at first.
Outside the ring, the wind picks up, and Natalie's voice grows in strength to match it. Dead leaves swirl along the ground and the branches sway in the trees. Inside the ring, the candle flames stand straight, the trails of soot barely flickering as they head for the sky.
Cassie shudders and opens her eyes. I'm ready for this. My hood is pulled far down over my face, and I'll turn around and disappear quick if it's Eunice when she awakes. Everyone is prepared with the cover story: the group realized that Cassie's faint during the cleansing could be nothing less than a sign that she was still deeply burdened by the death of her grandmother. She needs a cleansing, too. The deep, black-candle kind.
She sits up and looks
No one has their hood up yet. It's still meet and greet time. You'd think this was a gathering of the DAR complete with finger sandwiches.
Zelda and her daughter are either late or not coming. I spent a great deal of time grooming them over the years, pretending to take an interest in their lives. Perhaps they left the coven out of loyalty to me when I died? If they did, I can coax them back quickly. In fact, all of my devotees are missing tonight. But they'll return soon enough, when they see that I'm back in all my glory.
"Evening, Cassie," Natalie says as she saunters by. Wait a minute! Natalie's wearing my ring? Why would the coven put that buffoon in a position of power? It makes no sense. She's stolen something from everyone in the coven at some point. Kleptomania, my ass. The woman is just a thief. Although obviously, I'm not judging her. She's nowhere near the thief that I am: I've stolen an entire coven member, and no one has a clue.
I'd always thought Gillian would be everyone's choice for high priestess if Eunice stepped off before she did. It was her I was hoping to go up against to regain my power. Victory won't be anywhere near as sweet if I'm taking the power from Nat. There were times I even admired the old harpy.
Finally, Robert and Natalie draw their hoods up and others follow suit. Our priest and priestess walk among us, handing us each white candles, the color of cleansing and purification.
We form a ritual circle and Robert makes an inner circuit in the glow of his taper, lighting the candles we extend as he goes. I prefer a nice red candle myself. I have several waiting for Ba'al when he comes home.
The one who requested to be cleansed, Janice, walks to the center of the circle, seats herself cross-legged on the grass, and pulls her robe off her shoulders down to her waist, revealing sagging breasts and a stretch-marked belly. Her downward-facing nipples stiffen as the breeze blows across them.
I wish this was all over. Cleansings bore me. The chant begins, but I don't know the words to this one. Custom-made, probably, for Natalie to show off her bespoke casting skills.
Oh, let it be over. It's making me sleepy.
When Cassie—I still can't bring myself to think of her as Eunice—slumps to the ground, I creep cautiously out of the woods to join the circle. It will help to have as many people as possible who care about Cass lending their energies when Natalie attempts to cleanse her of Eunice's presence. Even someone with no magic. Love is a kind of magic in itself.
"Tom, get her and carry her to the center. Quickly. I don't know how long Eunice will sleep."
While I carry her to the middle of the ring as Natalie directed, Janice rejoins her peers, and the others start interspersing black candles with the white ones. Gillian told me earlier, when we were packing the items Natalie would need, that if what Eunice did to Cassie was a hex, the black candles would help. She just shrugged when I asked what affect it would have if it was something else.
Natalie claps her hands. "Everyone, join the circle now, very close. Take the hand of the person next to you and don't let go."
She begins the spell then, speaking quietly at first.
Outside the ring, the wind picks up, and Natalie's voice grows in strength to match it. Dead leaves swirl along the ground and the branches sway in the trees. Inside the ring, the candle flames stand straight, the trails of soot barely flickering as they head for the sky.
Cassie shudders and opens her eyes. I'm ready for this. My hood is pulled far down over my face, and I'll turn around and disappear quick if it's Eunice when she awakes. Everyone is prepared with the cover story: the group realized that Cassie's faint during the cleansing could be nothing less than a sign that she was still deeply burdened by the death of her grandmother. She needs a cleansing, too. The deep, black-candle kind.
She sits up and looks
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